During her January 25 till 28 work visit to Curaçao, State Secretary Sandra Palmen of Benefits and Recovery (formerly NSC, then briefly not affiliated to any party, recently having joined VVD) admitted that a lot has been done for victims of the Childcare Benefit Affair (‘Toeslagenaffaire’) in the Caribbean, ‘but not everything’. She reached this conclusion after meeting with affected parents facing financial hardship, support organizations, and government officials. During her trip, she dined at a restaurant owned by a victim who is rebuilding her life on the island.
Between 2005 and 2019, approximately 43,000 parents in the Netherlands had their childcare benefits unjustly stopped, leading to severe financial challenges. Many moved abroad, but are still entitled to recognition, compensation, and support. In Curaçao, over 200 families are affected, out of 1,454 families registered worldwide.
Palmen visited Curaçao because it has the highest number of victims outside the Netherlands. Unlike in the Netherlands, where municipalities provide help, victims abroad are assisted by the International Support Team (OTB, Ondersteuningsteam Buitenland). The OTB helps families with health, finances, work, and housing.
Debt issues
A major hurdle in Curaçao is the heavy burden of private debt, which remains more severe than for victims in the Netherlands. Palmen discussed this with local Ministers Charetti America-Francisca (Social Development) and Charles Cooper (Finance). Both promised to support the recovery process within their powers.
Broad willingness to help
A meeting hosted by the Representative of the Netherlands, Gerbert Kunst, brought together stakeholders including the FKP housing foundation, ACU credit union, MCB Bank, community centers organization Unidat di Bario, and water and electricity producer Aqualectra.
Kunst noted a ‘broad willingness’ to find solutions. This resulted in the signing of a letter of intent for a pilot program by the Debt Restructuring and Guardianship Foundation (Stichting Schuldsanering en Bewindsvoering) to guide ten families through debt relief.
Childcare Benefit Scandal
Palmen, who calls the situation a ‘scandal’ rather than an ‘affair,’ visited Zulaijka Brandao, owner of the restaurant Local Star – formerly the Golden Star Bar Restaurant – in Marie Pampoen. Brandao serves traditional ‘krioyo’ food and shared her story of resilience.
“I was a victim in the Netherlands, but that doesn’t mean that I should sit and cry all day,” Brandao said. “You have to work hard and set a good example for your children.” While she received compensation and OTB support, she credits her family and her own determination for her success:
Minority’s Foundation
Erica Wever of the Minority’s Foundation told the State Secretary that urgent issues remain. Some parents were wrongly convicted of fraud in their absence, which now creates travel problems. Wever demands these records be cleared. She also noted that dozens of victims in Curaçao have not yet registered. “Palmen gave the parents hope,” Wever said, “but she admitted the process is taking too long.”
Kingdom equality
Wever argued that all victims within the Kingdom should be treated equally. She pointed out that tax exemptions on compensation applied in the Netherlands should also apply in Curaçao. “We are one Kingdom; it should be easier to arrange this here than in places like Iran or Iraq.”
Wever also noted that while billions are being spent on the recovery operation, not all of it reaches the parents – a point she says the State Secretary acknowledged.
